The little Wolf and his Sakura
by Aria Iwaka
Summary: Syaoran Li returns to Tomoeda after seven years of absence. Sadly, he is given the news that his childhood love, Sakura Kinomoto left Japan two years after his departure. WIll Syaoran ever see Sakura again?


The little wolf and his Sakura ****

The little wolf and his Sakura

By: Aria Miyume Iwaka

~ Syaoran Li finally returns to Tomoeda seven years later. He is eager to reunite with his childhood crush, Sakura Kinomoto. However, he is given the news that Sakura had left Tomoeda five years ago. Torn up and disheartened, Syaoran blames himself for Sakura's departure. Will Syaoran ever see his Sakura again? 

~ Disclaimer – I do not own Card Captor Sakura. All rights to Clamp and Kodansha. 

(parentheses) – My thoughts

'single quotations' – characters' thoughts

****

Chapter One: Unlikely news 

17year-old Syaoran Li sighed deeply, hoping to quiet his rapid heart palpitations. He was in front of Sakura Kinomoto's yellow-painted house for the first time in seven years. Syaoran arrived in Tokyo just a few hours earlier by plane. He had not broken his promise to Sakura. He had returned. Syaoran completed his training to become the future leader of the Li clan. He mastered the difficult discipline of martial arts, magic, and general education. Years of diligent training molded Syaoran into a warrior. His muscles were toned and sculpted, although he still had a lean texture to his body. Syaoran was also taller; he was no longer the little ten year old boy he knew back in Tomoeda years ago. The only changes Syaoran's body didn't undergo were his facial changes. He still had the same glare fixed on his face at all times, with shining amber eyes sharp, thick eyebrows furrowed. His hair was as messy as ever: dark brown hair unkempt and long bangs hanging over his forehead. Syaoran was a dream to the girls and a threat to the guys who wanted the girls. However, the only girl Syaoran wanted was the lovely Sakura Kinomoto of Tomoeda, Japan. And, that was why he was standing in front of her door…to greet her after many years of absence. 

Syaoran's hand shook lightly as he pressed his index finger to the intercom. Syaoran heard a little jingle of "Twinkle, Twinkle, little star" inside the house, signaling someone's arrival. "Coming, coming!" a deep, masculine voice called. Syaoran narrowed his eyes. It was Touya, Sakura's older brother and Syaoran's worst nightmare. Syaoran growled softly as the intercom's screen turned on and showed Touya's face. He was still pretty recognizable, except that he now had whiskers growing on his chin for a goatee. Touya raised an eyebrow. "Could I help you?" Syaoran smirked. He didn't recognize him one bit!

"Yes, please. I would like to meet Miss Sakura Kinomoto. I'm a good friend of hers," Syaoran replied, hoping that sounded all right. 

Touya looked pretty confused. He cleared his throat and said a little hastily, "Okay, I'll let you in. Hold on." Syaoran heard a click at the door and Touya opened it for him. Syaoran stared at Touya, amazed. Syaoran was just as tall as he was, even a little taller by a couple of centimeters! Syaoran smirked to himself. 'Well, well, well. Now that I'm not ten years old anymore, I don't have to look up at you, Kinomoto. It's sure a nice change meeting eye-to-eye with my enemy. Hehehehe…' Touya stared at Syaoran as he was having a mental conversation with himself. 'Man, this kid looks crazy. I wonder if it was a good idea letting him in. But…he did say he knew Sakura. _And_ he looks so familiar to me somehow. I wonder if he knows that Sakura's—" 

"I don't know if you recognize me, but I recognize you," Syaoran said suddenly, interrupting Touya's thoughts. Touya stared at this imposing kid. 'He _knows_ me?' 

" Just who do you think you are, wise guy? Okay, fine. _I don't recognize you._ Hell, I don't even know you! And, how do you know my sister?!" 

Syaoran smirked, only making Touya angrier. " Oh, you know me, all right. You should know me pretty well. I lived here in Tomoeda when I was ten, and you could say that I had a real _unusual_ experience when I first met your sister. You were there at that _unusual_ experience." 

Touya glared at Syaoran, more confused now than before. 'An unusual experience? What the hell does that supposed to mean? And, he said that I was there, too.' Touya racked his brain for memories, any kind of memories that he stored when he was seventeen and Sakura was ten. 'Think, Touya, think. Did Sakura have any guy friends I knew when she was ten? Well…there was that Yamazaki guy…but I never had an unusual experience with him. Oh! And that Hiiragizawa kid! He was pretty weird when I first saw him, but he wasn't unusual. The last choice is that gaki she always hung around with. What was his name again? Damn, he tried to strangle her that day when I was watching her. Then, later, he tried to pick a fight with me when I tried to protect her. Now, that was unusual. A ten year-old usually runs in terror when they lay their eyes on me. I was pretty intimidating…that's it! He's the gaki!' Touya narrowed his eyes at Syaoran, who smiled with a glare. 

"Did you figure it out yet…Kinomoto?" 

Touya clenched his fists, ready to kick out this invading intruder. How dare he come here??? After what he tried to do to my sister! "It's you! You're the gaki! You're him! Chow-run or something!"

Syaoran sweat-dropped. He saw veins popping out of Touya's forehead everywhere. In a minute, he'd be ready to explode. "Yeah, you figured it out. You're not a brainless beast after all. Oh, and by the way…it's SYAORAN." 

Touya's face was now a boiling red, and steam flew out of his ears. "What. Did. You. Call. Me???" 

Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "I don't want to fight you, Kinomoto. You're Sakura's 'onii-chan' and I'm not about to punch the lights out of her only brother." 

Touya clenched his teeth and closed his eyes. If his face got any redder, he'd pop like a balloon. 'Touya, be calm. You're 24 years old. You can calmly rationalize with the kid without beating him to a bloody pulp. Besides, I know something that will wreck him to pieces…' Touya was the one now smirking. 

"You do want to meet Sakura, don't you?" 

Syaoran stared at Touya. "Yes, I would."

Touya shook his head and grinned like a jack-o-lantern. "Too bad, hot-shot."

What?! Syaoran frowned. 'What is he up to?' 

"Sakura left Tomoeda almost five years ago. It's highly likely that she won't return." Touya grinned even more at the frown that was slowly disappearing off of Li's face.

"W-Where'd she go?" Syaoran stammered. 'No, it can't be. He's lying! Sakura wouldn't leave. She can't! I'm here now! He has to be bluffing somehow…'

"If you think I'm lying, you can be sure as hell that I'm not. Sakura left here when she was thirteen to the United States. Why, you ask? She left to go study abroad to get into a good university in California. There are so many more opportunities in America than in Tomoeda. Wouldn't you agree, kid? You left here too a while ago." 

Syaoran clenched his fists. "But I came back! I came back just for her! Besides, she has to come back here for visits! I know _you_ can't stand being away from her too long!" 

Touya smiled evilly. "Of course she comes back for visits. About four times a year approximately: One for Christmas, one for my birthday, one for my dad's birthday, and one for Spring Break. Sometimes she comes home for a few more visits, though…" Touya gave Syaoran a look that seemed to say, "Wouldn't you like to know? Neener, neener, neener…" Syaoran felt drained of energy and the will to fight. It wasn't near any of their birthdays or Christmas or Spring Break. He just had to know the other days she might come back on. 

"Please…Kinomoto, I need to know. I came here to Japan for the sole purpose of seeing her again. If my purpose isn't fulfilled, I…I might never see her again." Syaoran hung his head low. He promised to the Li elders that this would be his last spontaneous trip outside of Hong Kong before he took the position of leader. And when his eighteenth birthday came up, which was in six months, he'd have to go back to initiate his position and choose a wife. All leaders had to choose wives on their eighteenth birthday. The elders chose five acceptable young ladies for Li to choose from and he felt dismayed. The only girl Syaoran thought about marrying was Sakura. He had to see her again to woo her and propose to her…all in six short months! Syaoran held his breath and collapsed on his knees, ready to sacrifice his pride and dignity to his enemy. He had no choice.

"Please, honorable Kinomoto-san," Syaoran pleaded, tears in the young warrior's eyes. "I beg of you." 

Touya stared, shocked at the scene before him at his feet. 'Does he really care for her that much? Even more than I do?' Syaoran stayed on the ground, waiting for Touya to do or to say something…anything. Finally, when Syaoran thought his body would stay in that position forever, Touya began to speak. 

"Just because I'm going to tell you this doesn't mean that I've accepted you," Touya began. He paused for a second before continuing. "The next time Sakura returns to Japan is this Saturday at twelve in the afternoon. You can come here to see her, but I'm not going to speak to her of your return. That's your job." Touya then turned away, not believing himself at what he just said. Syaoran couldn't, either. 

"Thank you…Kinomoto."

Touya's back still turned from Syaoran, but he spoke bitterly, "It's just because I can't stand to see a grown gaki cry." 

Syaoran ignored Touya's tart-tongued reply and actually smiled a true smile. "I know you care about Sakura very much, Kinomoto. I understand why you see me as such a threat." And, with that, Syaoran got up and walked himself to the door. 

When Touya heard the front door open and close, he sighed, shaking his head. "I am such a soft idiot." 

Aria's notes: What'd you think? Not what you expected from a Japanese-American, right? But, I do know my Japanese lingo since I heard it so much from my mom when I was little. Anyway, please review this crap! I'd like to know your reactions. Special thanks to my boyfriend, Ryan, for putting up with my story and reading it! Keep it real, guys! 

Love, 

*Aria* 


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